May 5th, 2025
Salutes local businesses that received Small Business Administration awards
Spanish language Version (PDF)
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Mayor Malik Evans proclaimed the week of May 5 to be Small Business Week in the City of Rochester and Monroe County. Small Business Week, also recognized annually by the U.S. Small Business Administration, provides an opportunity to highlight the transformative impact entrepreneurs and small business owners have on our local economy, culture and community.
“Small businesses are the engine of our local economy, and entrepreneurs seeking to achieve the American dream drive growth,” said County Executive Bello. “Thank you to all of our small business owners for their hard work and dedication. I encourage our residents to shop local and support our small businesses. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Monroe County.”
“National Small Business Week is a special time of the year that recognizes the true economic powerhouses of our communities: small businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them,” said SBA Regional Administrator Matt Coleman, who oversees the federal agency’s Atlantic regional operations throughout New York State, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “While calendars may omit the May 4 to May 10 celebration this year, it’s a special time to celebrate the innovators, risktakers, and job creators who pour their heart and soul into starting, growing, and expanding their businesses which power local communities like those in New York’s Finger Lakes region. We celebrate not only their resiliency and contribution to our local, regional, and national economies, but we also recognize these small business owners as community cornerstones who foster innovation, create opportunities, and enrich the fabric of our nation,”
This year, the Small Business Administration’s Buffalo District (a district that includes Monroe County) received nominations for two Monroe County small business owners for regional awards. They were recognized at a ceremony Monday.
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Small Business Person of the Year: Brian Harding, TES Staffing
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Women-Owned Small Business Person of the Year: Jennifer Posey, Hedonist Chocolates
To help support small businesses, Bello also announced that Monroe County’s Business Center will hold open office hours this week. Small business owners from Monroe County can meet with Economic Development staff to discuss their business’s growth, expansion, and future equipment purchases, and find out what programs or other assistance is available to them. No appointment is necessary, and office hours will be between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday May 6 and Thursday May 8. The Business Center is located in City Place at 50 West Main Street.
